How to choose an accountant is one of those things nobody really teaches you — and yet getting it wrong can cost you hundreds of pounds and months of stress. Here’s what I’d tell a friend who asked me the same question over coffee.

What an Accountant Actually Does for a Small Business

A lot of people think an accountant just files your tax return once a year and that’s that. In reality, a good accountant is saving you money, keeping you out of trouble with HMRC, and helping you make better decisions throughout the year. That’s a very different thing to a filing service.

The basics cover your annual accounts, Self Assessment tax returns, VAT, payroll and bookkeeping. But the real value comes from someone who spots that you’re paying more tax than you should, flags a deadline before it becomes a fine, or tells you whether incorporating as a limited company makes financial sense for your situation. That kind of advice pays for itself.

What to Actually Look For When Choosing an Accountant

Qualifications matter, but they’re not the whole picture. Look for someone who holds a recognised accounting qualification — AAT, ACA, ACCA or CIMA are all credible. An FMAAT designation, like I hold, means full membership of the AAT at the highest level, with at least three years of practice experience verified by the association.

Beyond credentials, ask about responsiveness. Will you be dealing with the same person every time, or will you get passed to a junior every time you ring? One of the most common complaints I hear from people switching accountants is that they never knew who was handling their work. Fixed fees are also worth asking about upfront — you want to know what you’re paying each month, not receive surprise invoices every time you send an email.

Red Flags That Tell You to Keep Looking

One pattern I see regularly is people discovering their accountant has been charging them for every phone call and letter, on top of a monthly retainer. This kind of billing structure benefits the accountant, not you. If a firm won’t give you a clear, fixed monthly fee before you sign up, that’s worth questioning.

Another warning sign is slow communication. If it takes a week to get a reply to a straightforward question, imagine what happens when something urgent comes up. You should feel confident that the person doing your accounts will actually pick up the phone or reply the same day. That’s not a luxury — it’s a basic standard that any decent accountant should meet.

Do You Need a Local Accountant, or Does Remote Work Just as Well?

Many people searching for an accountant in a specific area like Derby are really looking for accessibility and accountability. They want to know someone is reachable and will respond when it matters. The good news is that remote accountants can give you exactly that, often with more flexibility than a local firm that only offers 9-to-5 office hours.

I work fully remotely with clients across the UK — using cloud accounting software like QuickBooks, FreeAgent and Xero so everything is visible to both of us in real time. Video calls, phone calls, email — whatever works for you. The only thing that changes without a local office is the commute, and most clients tell me they’d rather not make it anyway. What matters is that you can always speak to the same person, directly, without being put in a queue.